How to stop your gadgets from overheating in the summer heatwave

The UK is finally seeing a bit of sun and heat this summer. So rare is this occasion that most people won't realise their gadgets could be damaged from overheating.

We've put together this guide to make sure you don't lose speed or gadget life from the taxing heat of the sun. Around the 35 degrees Celsius mark is where gadgets will start to struggle.

So if you notice your gadgets freezing, slowing down or shutting down follow these simple rules.

Flat surfaces are your friend

On a very basic physical level by keeping your gadget out of the sun you'll keep it cool, obviously. But that's not always an option – especially if you want to work on your laptop while catching some rays.

So whether in direct sunlight or not it's best to place your phone, tablet, laptop, whatever, on a flat surface. Ideally a hard surface too. This allows heat to pass away from the device into the surrounding area. Placing a laptop on a pillow or duvet, for example, is the opposite and it will end up making it hotter. Laid flat on the ground, where cool air falls to, it can run at a more chilled temperature.

Keep your processor cool

The main producer of heat is usually the processor in any device. When this is working hard to keep up with multiple threads of work it will overheat.

On a smartphone or tablet this can be overcome by making sure to close any apps that aren't in use. If you have an Android phone clearing the RAM, via the Active Applications screen, also helps.

This technique kills two issues with one tap since it not only keeps the device cool but also extends battery life.

Avoid extreme changes

Your hardy smartphone might seem tough but really it's a sensitive little fellow. Going through any extreme temperature changes can damage it. So if you've been out in the sun and forgotten to keep it in the shade and then you go indoors, don't use it right away. Give it a chance to adjust to the temperature before making it work even more.

Let it breath

If you're smartphone or tablet lives in a case most of its life give the little fella a breather by taking off its protective jacket.

A breeze can be enough to lower the temperature of the device enough to keep it functioning normally. Yes even blowing into a port can be helpful to keep it cool and running smoothly.

Laptop specific tips

Laptops are notorious for overheating even in a cool room. To make sure it's running efficiently only use the applications you need. You can also adjust the power settings to it's using less juice throughout the day. Cleaning vents is also a must as these are the laptop's airwaves allowing it to blow off any excess heat.

Laptop cooling pads are also an option which will allow your laptop to continue running at full power while being cooled from below. Finally, when not in use, complete shut down the laptop allowing it to cool totally.